Physical Geography: The Global Environment introduces students to the Earth and the way in which human interaction has shaped the Earth's evolution. In this much-anticipated second Canadian Edition, Professors Cathy Conrad and Peter Long seamlessly incorporate significant Canadian data and examples while maintaining Harm de Blij's international approach to the five major components of the Earth - atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere. This edition adds a wealth of Canadian information on topics ranging from wind patterns to landscape types, permafrost to drought, and water use to soil classification. The result is a comprehensive and authoritative text that is truly global in scope.

Specific to the Canadian Edition: * Provides Canadian and international data and examples * Presents relevant topics to Canadian audience: chinooks, cold weather hazards, permafrost, and glaciation * Metric measurements * Canadian sources cited in the end-of-chapter material * Canadian photos * Maps include all of North America where appropriate * Pedagogical boxes relate to Canada * Soil formation, classification, and mapping employ the Canadian System of Soil Classification * Compares US and Canadian soil classification systems

Major revisions to the second Canadian Edition: * All tables and figures have been updated to include the most current data * Information on climate change has been updated and includes current, relevant examples * Additional information on heat balance and radiation has been included along with equations * Increased material on GIS and Remote Sensing * In-depth treatment of adiabatic lapse rates and atmospheric stability * New material on natural hazards and severe weather * New chapter devoted specifically to weathering processes and soils

H.J. de Blij's profile page

Peter O. Muller's profile page

Richard S. Williams' profile page

Catherine T. Conrad's profile page

Peter Long's profile page

H. J. de Blij is a John A. Hannah Professor at Michigan State University, where he also taught throughout the decade of the 1960s. In the interim, he chaired the Geography Department at the University of Miami and served as editor at the National Geographic Society. He specializes in geopolitical and environmental issues, and has held named chairs at Georgetown University, Marshall University, and the Colorado School of Mines. Peter O. Muller has taught at the University of Miami since 1980 and chaired the Department from 1980 to 2000. He is an urban geographer with research and teaching interests in the geography of suburbanization, urban structural transformation, and the management of international urban problems. He is currently Book Review Editor for the two journals published by the Association of American Geographers, The Annals of the AAG and The Professional Geographer. Richard S. Williams, Jr. is a research geologist who uses airborne and satellite remote sensing to monitor changes in the Earth's glaciers (particularly sensitive indicators of global warming). He is author of more than 200 books, papers, and maps. He holds a doctorate in geology from Penn State, is a fellow of the AAAS, the Geological Society of America, and a foreign fellow of the Icelandic Science Society. Two glaciers in Antarctica are named for him. Cathy T. Conrad is a specialist in environmental and watershed management. She teaches physical geography, oceans, and weather and climate courses at Saint Mary's University where she is an Associate Professor, Program Advisor, and Departmental Chair. Peter Long is a geomorphologist who teaches introductory physical geography and all levels of geomorphology at York University where he is a full Professor. In addition, he is the coordinator of the physical geography laboratory.